Though acknowledging that some leaders object to the sport’s violence, Cuomo also said legalization is an inevitability and that the state should not stand in the way of spurring positive economic activity, the Times reported. To that point, the New York Daily News added that the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the sport’s dominant promotion, has said it would hold four events per year in New York, three upstate, once it is legalized.

The sport’s opponents don’t object solely on safety grounds, however. DNAinfo New York reported that state legislators have opened a new front, charging that MMA culture breeds sexism and violence against women. State Senator Liz Krueger has introduced a bill that would put an 18-month moratorium on the sport while a study is conducted on its effects on both fighters and spectators, DNAinfo said.

The State Senate has already passed a legalization bill, but it’s unclear if it has enough support to pass the Assembly, the Times said.